Assertion-based on-line verification and debug environment for complex hardware systems

This paper describes a debug environment for high performance integrated circuits and systems, running in real-world conditions. With the proposed environment, debug data is collected by a built-in debug hardware module (or integrated probe) and transferred to an external debugger using a dedicated debug port. The external debugger, composed of a FPGA and a processor, uses real-time assertion-based verification techniques to ensure that the system acts according to its specifications. Dynamic changes in the probe configuration allow higher monitoring resolution of critical parts of the circuit or system and improve the use of the debug port bandwidth. This paper discusses advantages and limitations of this technique.